Recommended by the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, and Many More. Check out our recent press.

Award-winning SF wine shop – free local delivery & fast nationwide shipping. Learn more

Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes 1990 [NET]

$49999
Use code 10OFF to get 10% off 12+ bottles

Yquem is the only estate in Sauternes classed as Premier Cru Superieur, a category created for it alone in 1855, and it is the most legendary sweet wine on earth, made only in years when noble rot cooperates. Grapes are picked berry by berry across multiple passes through the vineyard, often yielding a single glass per vine. This is the 1990, one of Yquem's truly great modern vintages, a hot, perfect botrytis year that produced a wine of staggering richness and depth. Now in its mature stride, it shows layers of apricot, marmalade, saffron and caramel, all carried on Yquem's improbable freshness. A monumental bottle that will outlive most who own it.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

  • If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
  • For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
  • We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

View our complete return policy →

Have Questions?

Our team is here to help.

Hours

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

CLOSED SUNDAYS

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405


Add your content here

Antonio Galloni

96 points

"Strangely, this is my first note on the 1990 Yquem, a vintage tasted many times. Now 35 years old, it has an enticing bouquet of wild honey, barley sugar, crème brûlée and figs that billows with aeration, certainly more opulent than the '89 but quite irresistible. The palate is vibrant and poised, weighty with plenty of botrytised fruit. This has captivating purity of fruit and in recent years has gained a little more elegance, perhaps less bold than it used to be. Not quite at the level of the '89, yet it appears to be improving with age. Tasted single blind at the 1990 Bordeaux dinner at Medlar." —Neal Martin

Robert Parker

98 points

"A warm to hot vintage ideal for producing outstanding reds does not necessarily make for a great Sauternes vintage, but in the case of 1990 it did. Dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration that this wine exhibits. Fortunately, a little rain in late September and early October ensured that botrytis flourished well in the end, the final factor necessary to achieve this extraordinary expression." —Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Jancis Robinson

18 points

"Half-bottle. Almost tawny. Creamy texture – very luxurious. This stood up manfully to Mrs Beeton's Christmas pudding but definitely finished drier than it. I'd say half-bottles anyway are ready to drink now."

Decanter

98 points

"This is exuberant, concentrated and luscious. Full of blood orange, nectarine, saffron, touches of carmalised ginger, truffle and crème brûlée. A seesaw of zesty acidity and luscious sweetness, this is a beautiful wine that still has decades ahead of it. Owned by the Lur Saluces family at the time, this clearly shows why Yquem stands in its own category in the appellation."

More about

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Semillon

  • Vintage

    1990

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Traditional

  • Style

    Earthy , Elegant , Fruity

  • Sweetness

    Sweet

  • Body

    Full Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Foie gras, blue cheese, fruit tarts, or alone as the centerpiece of dessert.

Tasting Profile

Lusciously sweet and deep, with apricot, marmalade, saffron, caramel and honey. Remarkable acidity; immensely long, layered finish.